Celebrating Worldwide Child Survival Rates

I can honestly say that I have no idea what it is like to lose a child. But having made it through the high fevers and weird childhood diseases, I can remember a few times sitting up all night with my child just praying that they would be alright.

In 2000, the global community made a promise to children — to reduce by two thirds the risk that a child will not live to see his or her fifth birthday. The deadline for this promise is 2015.

In higher-income countries, this number is not as much of a concern. In the United States, for example, childhood mortality affects only 7 out of every 1000 children under the age of 5. But in third world nations, the number is much higher. Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, has the highest childhood mortality rate in the world with 182 out of 1000.

The good news is that every year since 1990, the worldwide number has gone down. Every single year. That is something to celebrate!! Check out this video:

The bad news is that the progress isn’t fast enough for us to meet the goal of a 2/3 global reduction in risk by 2015. In fact, right now, we are 13 years behind schedule.

But over the past year, more than 175 governments signed a pledge, renewing their promise to accelerate progress on child survival. Each pledge is an important commitment to give every single child the best possible start in life.

Read more of the Unicef 2013 Progress Report and sign up to learn more about what you can do to help.

We can celebrate worldwide child survival rates by making sure that they continue to improve!!!

I am writing this post as a member of the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.